The Return (Rewrite)
by complete-randomalities
Summary: Mae Thorne - 18, Beta Werewolf, new resident to Beacon Hills. Sounds simple enough but there's nothing simple about her life anymore. Especially when she discovers her connection to Paige Krasikeva, the Nemeton, and the Blood Moon that is soon to arrive. Everything in Mae's life is about to change and everything she has believed up to now is not what it seemed to be. ON HIATUS
1. How long until we get to Bacon Hills?

If there's one thing a Beta knows it's 'what the Alpha says, goes'. Of course Mae Thorne never thought she'd get uprooted from her east coast home and moved all the way across the country during her senior year of high school, but her Alpha demanded it so that's what they had to do. Their pack wasn't a large one by any means. In fact it was just Mae, her parents, Ty, and their Alpha – Damon. Even though their pack was small, it didn't cut back on Damon's strength. Then again perhaps it was his viciousness that made him strong.

Mae was thinking about all of this during the cross-country trip to California. What really bugged her the most was that Damon didn't even tell them _why_ they were moving. It wasn't surprising though since he didn't discuss anything with Mae ever.

Since she was none too happy with her Alpha about this move she decided to ride along with Ty in the moving van. It felt like they'd been on the road forever and was starting to doubt that they'd ever get there. Mae rested her feet up on the dashboard and pulled her sunglasses down over her eyes and looked out the window at the scenery that passed by. Between all the crappy rest stops and motels – not to mention being stuck in the van for hours on end on the road – she was starting to feel cabin feverish. There really wasn't anything she wouldn't give up for just a half an hour to go for a run.

Mae kinda zoned out a bit as she looked out the window. Her mind kept going back to the weird dreams she'd been having for the past week or two. In fact, she started having them right before the move started. The dreams were the same over and over again. She was looking through her own eyes and yet seeing herself in a completely different way. And every time Mae woke up she couldn't shake the feeling of dejavu.

There were a few times she almost told Ty about them. Ty was around her age and has been her friend for as long as she could remember and often confided things in him but this...for some reason she couldn't bring herself to talk about her dreams with him. Mae couldn't figure out why she felt she couldn't tell him so she just kept telling herself that a girl's gotta have her secrets.

"Feet down." Ty's words pulled Mae from her thoughts but she ignored him and pretended that she was sleeping. He wasn't buying that she was sleeping for a second. "You're not fooling me, Mae," he added. "Feet down."

Mae turned to face her friend and pulled her sunglasses down her nose a bit, just enough to show her eyes. "Not happening. I'm comfy."

Ty was only a few years older than Mae but he sounded like a grumpy old man when he replied with, "Don't make me pull this truck over."

Mae laughed incredulously at his threat and returned her sunglasses to their place over her eyes. "You wouldn't do that."

Ty took his eyes off the road for a moment to give her a look before moving his fingers a bit on the steering wheel. "If that's the way you want to play it, then _you_ can explain to everyone why we had to pull over." He turned on the directional light to prove he was serious.

The last thing she wanted was to have to deal with Damon so she pulled her feet down and placed them on the floor with a scoff. "Better?" she sassed.

Ty nodded and turned off the directional light with a smug expression upon his face. "Much."

"You're an ass," she shot at him as she returned her sunglasses to the top of her head.

"And you're a brat," he responded without missing a beat.

Mae rolled her eyes and turned back to the window. She started drumming on her legs out of boredom. The truck's radio didn't work and since her cell charger was in one of the boxes she didn't have any music to take her mind off things. Her favorites were on repeat in her head but a change of pace would have been nice. With this in mind, she tried the radio again and sighed in frustration when complete silence came from the speakers.

Ty looked at her with a 'seriously?' expression. "It didn't work any other time, Mae. So why did you think it'd work now? Please, you must tell me your logic." He was trying to get under her skin a little bit in payback for all the times she had done the same to him.

"Will power," Mae answered and returned to drumming on her legs but soon tired of that. "How long until we get to Bacon Hills?"

Ty laughed at her question. "It's Beacon Hills. Say it with me now – _Bea_ -con. Come on, I know you can do it."

Mae shoved him for that, but not hard enough to disrupt his driving. "Shut up. Now tell me, how much farther until _Bea_ con Hills?" She made sure to put a lot of sarcastic emphasis on the correct pronunciation of their new hometown.

Ty didn't have to answer because at that moment they passed a sign reading 'Welcome to Beacon Hills'. Knowing that she'd seen it with her own eyes, he smirked. "You tell me."

"Shut up," she shot back and returned her sunglasses before returning her gaze out the window, ignoring Ty as he laughed.

'So this is Beacon Hills, huh?' she thought to herself. 'What's so special about this place?' She still couldn't figure out for the life of her why Damon chose to move them there of all places. It just didn't make any sense.

* * *

Mae got out of the moving truck and closed the door behind her. She put her sunglasses back on the top of her head and looked at her new home with her hands placed on the back of her hips. "We're living _here_?" There were construction workers all over the place in this lot in the woods to rebuild the house that was burned down.

"Damon said they were supposed to be finished by now," Ty commented as he joined her. "Must be running behind."

"He's going to be pissed about that," Mae commented then looked seriously at Ty. "Why this place? I'm sure Damon could sure as hell afford a house that's intact."

Tyler didn't have the answer to that. "Above my pay-grade."

Mae's mother, Clara, came over at the moment saying, "More than half of the house is finished. If we can put up with the noise we can move in right now. The foreman said they'll be done within the next week."

Mae could tell by her mother's voice that she wasn't giving them a choice in the matter as to whether or not they could put up with the construction noise. They were moving in and that was that.

"We'll start unloading," Ty replied and went around to the back of the moving truck to get things started.

Clara looked at Mae with a heavy sigh. "This is a good thing, Mae. You'll see."

"Why here?" Mae asked, looking at her mother. "Damon is rich enough to buy a place that's already intact. I get that being in the middle of the woods is a plus, but come on."

"Not that you need to know, but a prominent pack lived here once and Damon wants to create the same legacy for himself." Clara pointed at her daughter, "Do not question your Alpha's decisions again. You know what will happen if you do."

Mae crossed her arms and scoffed before going to help Ty with the move. Yeah, Mae did know what would happen to 'insubordinate' Betas and had no plan to relive it.

* * *

Once everything was moved into the livable parts of the house, Mae went out to grab the last thing from the truck that just happened to be her most prized possession, her cello. The only thing Mae wanted more than going out for a run was to sit down and play her beloved instrument.

"I thought I told you to leave that thing back East," Damon's voice boomed when he saw Mae walk down the ramp with her cello case in hand.

"You did," Mae honestly answered. "And I didn't listen."

Damon went over to her and tried to pull it from her hands but Mae's eyes glowed yellow and growled protectively.

Before Damon could react, Ty ran over and said cautiously, "There are humans here."

Damon's posture straightened as he looked down at Mae. Being over six feet he easily towered over her. "If I hear one note coming from that thing not only will I destroy it, but you."

Ty didn't say anything to Mae until Damon was well into the house. "What the hell are you thinking? Are you trying to get yourself killed?"

"He's not taking away the only thing I love," Mae shot back, holding the case as close to her as she could.

"Damon is going to kick you out of the pack if he doesn't kill you first," Ty warned.

"He won't kill me. My dearest mother would hate him for it and would stop sharing his bed." Mae knew all about her mother's affair with Damon but didn't say a word about it until that moment. And 'dearest' was definitely sarcastic.

Ty couldn't argue with her there but he had another point. "And if he does kick you out? Then what? You gonna go through life as an Omega?"

"If that happens I don't have to become an Omega," Mae answered with clarity. "I'd just have to find a new Alpha."

Ty couldn't believe what he was hearing and threw up his hands in defeat before heading back into the house, moving around the workers he had to in order to get there.

Mae took a deep breath and picked up her cello case with the intention to going up to the house but paused when a blue Jeep pulled up and a young man got out.

"Hey," he greeted. "I heard someone bought this place but had to see it for myself."

"What's it to you?" Mae shot back a bit more fiercely than she normally would have.

"I knew the previous owner," he explained. "This is the Hale House. Or was anyway. I didn't even know Derek was selling it."

Mae thought the name sounded familiar but couldn't place it so she ignored the feeling and moved on. "Well clearly he did because my family and I live here now."

He was pretty curious, Mae could tell. Especially when he asked, "You going to the high school?"

"Senior year," Mae answered, hoping that'd get him going.

"I'm only a year behind you, cool." He made it sound far more interesting than what it really was.

Before he could get out another word, Mae said, "I have stuff to do." And on that note, she headed back to the house.

"Oh, okay! See you at school!" he called out before getting into his Jeep and driving away.

Mae stopped at the porch stairs when Damon walked out, asking "Who was that?"

Mae turned around and saw the kid driving off before answering Damon. "Some kid who knew the previous owner. Didn't get a name but he seemed kinda like a spazz to me."

Damon accepted the answer and looked down at the cello case in her hand. "Not one note," he firmly stated before going inside.

Mae rolled her eyes with a sigh then followed.

* * *

A week later the renovations on the house were completed and it looked as good as new. Mae was sure as hell glad the noise was gone but wasn't took keen on starting school that day. Damon didn't see the point of enrolling her at all but Clara convinced him it'd be a good idea so she was to start that day.

"Almost ready?" Ty asked from the doorway of Mae's room.

Mae pulled on her black leather jacket and pulled her long brown hair out from the collar. "Just about," she replied and picked up her cello case. "The school has got to have a music room."

Ty looked a bit impressed with her thought process. "Good thinking. Now come on, you're going to be late."

"If Damon had his way I wouldn't be going at all," Mae replied as they walked down the stairs. "Guess my mother has more sway with him than I thought."

Mae didn't realize her father, Kyle, was within earshot until he walked around the corner and joined them at the bottom of the stairs. "Your mother has a way to get people to see what decision is best. Her _sway_ has nothing to do with it." Kyle gave his daughter a bit of a look before adding, "Don't want to be late on your first day."

Ty pulled on Mae's sleeve a bit to get her going and they both left the house without a word.

* * *

Mae leaned on her cello case as she stood in front of Beacon Hills High School. She couldn't shake the feeling that she'd been there before and yet knew for a fact that she hadn't. A strong wave of dejavu moved over her, just like when she awoke from her dreams, but she ignored it. "One high school looks like all the others." She really didn't have another way to explain it and a mystery was not something she was in the mood for.

Mae was about to pick up her case and head inside when she felt someone approach her. She whipped around and saw the 'Spazz' that came to the house the day she moved in.

He held up his hands to show he meant her no harm. "Whoa, didn't mean to scare you."

"You didn't" she replied, a bit irritated.

He cleared his throat and said, "Well, I just wanted to say hi and introduce myself since you really didn't give me a chance to before."

Mae was waiting for him to go ahead and do it but he said nothing and just stared at her. "I'm not getting any younger here," she snapped. "You gonna tell me your name or am I going to have to keep referring to you as the Nosy Spazz?"

He chuckled and pointed at her. "You're funny."

"Actually, I'm Mae," she retorted, introducing herself.

"I'm Stiles," he replied with a grin because he liked her snark and just then the bell rang. "And we better get to class."

"Principal's office for me," Mae explained as she picked up her cello and started walking with him inside. "I don't have my class list yet."

"I can show you where it is," he offered.

Mae threw her hand out in front of her, "Lead the way." She really didn't want the assistance but Stiles was sort of amusing so she decided to put up with him.

Mae was about to walk through the doors when she thought she felt something. She turned around to look behind her but didn't see anything beyond the students that were trying to get inside.

"You coming?" Stiles asked, waiting for her.

"Yeah." Mae gave another quick glance behind her before heading into the school.

* * *

Derek needed to discuss something with Scott that couldn't wait so he went to the High School. He had just pulled into the parking lot when he saw _her_. But it couldn't be her. He had to be seeing things. There was no way he had just seen Paige in front of the school.

Derek had only caught a glimpse of the girl in the leather jacket leaning on a cello case when he drove by but it was like seeing a ghost. He felt as if he had just seen a ghost.

By the time he got his car parked and got out for a better look, all the students had filed into the building and the 'cello girl' was nowhere to be seen. He couldn't get the glimpse of her out of his head but finally he was able to put it into the back of his mind.

Paige was dead, he knew this, so there was no way he saw _her_. Feeling a bit better after reaffirming this, he went into the school to find Scott and take care of why he was there in the first place.

* * *

End Chapter 1

* * *

 **A/N: Hello, readers! I wrote 'The Return' quite awhile ago and thought it was time for a rewrite. For those who are familiar with the first version of 'The Return' there are plenty of details that have been changed so hopefully it'll be a fresh read for you. And for the new readers, hope you enjoy the story!**

 **As always, thank you so much for reading! Hope you like it :)**


	2. Well, this is Beacon Hills

Mae and Stiles parted ways after reaching the office and once she got her class schedule, she was able to find her way around pretty well. It was almost like she had an internal GPS when it came to this place because she seemed to know exactly where everything was even though she'd never stepped foot there before. "One high school is like all the rest," she said to herself with a bit of an eye-roll as she opened up her locker before lunch period. Mae was starting to get annoyed with that so-called reason for her weird dejavu feelings, but she kept using it because she wasn't in the head-space to deal with anything else.

Mae moved some hair behind her ear when she heard some girls talking down the hall about her. They were whispering to one another but Mae could hear it plain as day - Gotta love super-hearing sometimes.

"That's her," one girl stated.

"The one who lives in the burned down house?" the other asked.

"It's not burned down anymore. They fixed it up," the third added in and at that moment the three of them went over to Mae. "You're the new girl, right?"

Mae turned to face them with one hand in her locker. "Is it that obvious?" she gasped. "I was trying so hard to blend in."

The first girl ignored her sarcastic tone and said, "You live in the old Hale House, right? Be grateful that psycho Argent lady isn't around anymore to burn it down again."

"Is it weird for you?" the second girl asked her. "Living in that house where all those people died?"

"Not at all," Mae answered, deciding to have a little fun with this preppy trio. "I'm used to death. My family is always doing some sort of ritual or...sacrifice." She smiled as she looked at them. "You know, you guys should come over after school. I could give you a grand tour."

The three girls looked white as ghosts after hearing what Mae had to say. "I – I don't think so," one of them replied before they hurried off down the hall.

Mae called out, "Awww, was it something I said?" as they darted off. She couldn't contain her laughter any longer and let it out as she put her books away before going to lunch.

Mae was just closing the locker when she heard Stiles' voice mention her name. Thankfully he didn't see her when she quickly went off in the opposite direction and went straight to the music room – her safe haven.

Once the music room's door closed behind her she let out a heavy sigh of relief that soon turned into an 'oh crap' feeling when she heard a woman's voice ask, "Can I help you?"

Mae turned around to find a woman (who appeared to be in her fifties or so) standing in the middle of the room with sheet music in her hand. She was clearly the music teacher. "Can I hide out here until after lunch?" Mae asked in reply.

The music teacher stood there looking stunned, almost as if she had seen a ghost. Mae noticed this and raised her brow a bit. "Something wrong?"

The music teacher, Ms Hollis, replied "What? Oh, no, I'm sorry you just...you bear a striking resemblance to a former student of mine." If she didn't know any better she'd have sworn that her favorite cellist, Paige Krasikeva, was standing right in front of her. Of course that was impossible. Pulling herself from her shock she said, "Feel free to spend lunch period here," then went back to her work.

"Thanks," Mae replied, ignoring the comment about resembling a former student. Everyone had a look-alike somewhere. Since there wasn't enough time to practice anything, Mae just walked around the room. She had stopped by earlier to drop off her cello, but no one was there then so she was pleased to see it still safely placed in the corner.

Mae had played the cello since the first time she touched one so she never bothered to try and learn anything else. Her cello was almost like an extension of herself which was partly why she was so protective of it and being able to play it. Mae had no idea why Damon was so set against her playing but that didn't stop her. She just had to work her way around him and his rules about it.

When Mae's eyes met a musical Triangle on the shelf she found herself smiling but didn't know why. There was just something about that particular instrument. She couldn't place what it was for the life of her but it made her smile nonetheless.

Mae was pulled from her thoughts when she heard Ms Hollis ask, "Is that yours?" Mae turned around to see the teacher pointing to the cello case in the corner. "Yeah," she replied, "that's mine. No one was here earlier so I just put it there for safekeeping."

"You play the cello?" Ms Hollis asked, almost in disbelief.

"For as long as I can remember," she chuckled. Just then the bell rang indicating that lunch period was over. "Time flies."

Ms Hollis nodded before saying, "I'm not normally here after school but if you would ever like to use the music room to practice, that is alright. If anyone gives you any trouble about it, just tell them Ms Hollis gave you permission."

Mae genuinely smiled upon hearing that. "Thanks, Teach. I'll be taking you up on that offer."

Ms Hollis watch her leave with a slight shake to her head. She couldn't get the similarities off her mind. "So uncanny," she said to herself then laughed, "Well, this _is_ Beacon Hills."

* * *

After school Mae did take the offer to practice her cello, even though she knew that would make her late getting out to the parking lot to meet Ty for a ride home. Oh well, he'd just have to wait. It wouldn't be the first time.

Once the music room was cleared out, Mae went right in and got set up. Mae got settled into the seat in the middle of the room, shook her head back a little to center herself, then placed her hand upon the strings with one hand and pulled the bow across with the other. The notes of her favorite song, Ave Maria, filled the room.

Mae closed her eyes as she allowed herself to be consumed by the music. Everything else always fell away when she played, especially this song. Normally nothing would be able to pull her focus but a 'thump, thump, thump' reached her ears. Her playing didn't stop but her eyes opened due to being pulled out of her 'trance'. Realizing she had lost her place, she grumbled and started over.

 _Thump. Thump. Thump._

There was that freaking sound again. It sounded like a basketball being dribbled in the hallway and it was starting to piss her off. Her eyes flashed yellow as she glared at the door and those who were undoubtedly somewhere outside.

 _Thump. Thump. Thump._

That was it, Mae had it. After returning her eyes to normal, she set her cello aside and went out into the hall to give whoever it was a piece of her mind. "Don't you realize that basketball is supposed to be played in the gym?!" she called out as she turned the corner. The sound had stopped and there was no one there.

Mae froze for a second because it didn't make any sense. " _What_?" She heard a basketball being dribbled, she was sure of it but there was no one sight and the sound wasn't being made any longer. Mae had no explanation and couldn't even attempt to think of one. "No...too weird."

She went back to the music room to keep playing but as soon as she was about to begin the dribbling sound reached her ears again. "Oh my god!" she shouted and gave up. Mae put her cello away and left because she knew if she tried tracking down whoever it was that was pissing her off that she probably wouldn't be able to keep herself in check. It was annoying her to hell and back but it was better this way.

* * *

Earlier that day Derek discussed what was needed with Scott then left. However when the time came for school to end, he found himself sitting out in the parking lot watching the students as they left for the day. Derek couldn't get the nagging feeling out of his mind. Yes, he had suppressed it but now it was back at full force. All he needed was one look at that cello girl to prove that she was _not_ Paige and that would be the end of it.

That appeared to be easier said than done since she didn't seem to make an appearance at the end of the day. Derek didn't see her, or any girl leave with a cello for that matter. Had he imagined her existence? No, he saw her talking with Stiles so that couldn't be it. Of course the easiest thing he could do was just ask Stiles who the girl was but he really didn't want Stilinski in his business, especially when it came to this. This was something Derek would have to deal with himself.

Derek was starting to feel like a creeper as he sat in his car waiting for more students to leave. After a little while only a couple stragglers came out and no Cello Girl. At that moment he decided to take a more active approach and went inside the school.

He wasn't sure where to start looking so he just walked down a random hallway for starters. He didn't get very far before an all too familiar song reached his ears. It was one that he hadn't heard in a very long time because the last time he heard it was when Paige played it. For that reason, he couldn't bring himself to listen to it again but there it was, the music practically echoing through the halls almost as if it was calling out to him. Derek answered the call and started for the music room.

By the time he got there the music had ended and whoever was playing it was gone. This was far too unnerving for him, even more-so when a familiar scent reached his senses. This scent – _Paige's_ scent almost made his heart stop. Her scent wasn't the only one present but one of a wolf's as well. There was more, Derek found. They weren't two separate scents...but one. "Can't be," he thought aloud. This was something he couldn't ignore so he quickly followed the trail out the other door and through the back exit of the school.

Derek practically burst through the doors just in time to see a girl put a cello case in the backseat of an SUV before getting into the front. He caught far more than a glimpse this time – it was _Paige_.

Derek clenched his fists because he knew it wasn't possible. Paige rejected the Bite, but more than that he was the one who had mercy-killed her. There was no way that this girl could be her but the resemblance was too much to ignore. It was Paige and yet it wasn't. One thing was certain though, if Derek didn't feel like he was going crazy before, he sure as hell did now.

* * *

Ty looked over at Mae for a moment as he drove through Beacon Hills. "How'd it go?"

"I made a group of girls think that we were sadistic people who made human sacrifices, so excellent." Mae grinned at him before facing forward.

Ty sighed when he heard this. "Damon will not be pleased if someone comes checking in because of what you said."

"I'm not a minor, Ty," she retorted. "It's not like they can call social services and have me pulled out of the house."

"True, but who's to say that they won't call the cops? There's enough already going around about us because we're living in the old Hale House. We don't need more attention, Mae." Ty really hoped she'd understand why.

"Damon should have known what he was getting himself into when he bought the place to begin with. Kids have been talking all day about the fire and how some crazy woman named Kate was the one who burned the place down with people still inside." Mae scoffed heavily. "If it's anyone's fault for having eyes on us, it's Damon's. Not mine."

Ty didn't say anything else on the matter and changed subjects. He reached into his shirt pocket and pulled out Clara's credit card. Ty handed it over to Mae, "You have to go shopping before we get home."

Mae's brows almost went sky high. "Why the hell would I go shopping? My clothes are fine."

"Clara threw out anything that faded, worn, or riddled with holes." He took a jab at her as he pulled into the mall's parking lot, "So pretty much your entire wardrobe."

Mae was pissed beyond words and almost snapped the card in her hand as a result. "I _hate_ shopping."

* * *

End Chapter 2

* * *

 **A/N: I want to give a special shout-out to Daystorm aka Darknightfrombeyond for making the cover art for The Return (Rewrite) Their edit captured everything perfectly and I appreciate it and them so much. Not only does Daystorm kill with edits, they have some incredible stories on here so please go and check them out. I can pretty much guarantee that you won't regret it!**


	3. Impossible

Derek tried tailing the truck after it left the school's parking lot, but after getting cut off by another vehicle he lost them. As he waited at a stoplight he tried to process what he had seen or what he thought he saw. It wasn't just that this girl resembled Paige – he could have gotten over that – it was that this girl looked _exactly_ like her. Perhaps a bit older but not by much. This was something Derek couldn't get over.

It wasn't until the car behind him honked their horn because the light had turned green that Derek pulled himself from his thoughts. He drove back to his Loft to continue trying to figure all this out. The thought of asking Stiles who the girl was had entered his mind again but he didn't think he was quite there yet. Especially since he wasn't too certain what Stilinkski would do afterwards.

After returning to the Loft, Derek went up to his room and over to the safe. Derek entered the pass-code – that happened to be Paige's birthday – opened the door and pulled out a small box. He had to clear something up, he had to make sure that it wasn't his memory playing tricks on him.

Derek removed the cover and picked up a handful of pictures. There weren't a lot of them but it was the memories that were important, not the amount of the photographs that represented some of them. He looked at the picture in his hand and there was no doubt about it, the girl he saw at the school was the spitting of Paige but there was no way it could possibly be her. At least not by normal means.

Derek couldn't fathom the idea because it was impossible – a word that he'd been using a lot that day. He returned the picture and the box to the safe and paused mid-action. 'It couldn't be. There's no way' these thoughts moved through his mind at that moment but they were soon followed by 'But this is Beacon Hills'.

It was decided, he wasn't going to leave anything to question or wonder. Derek was going to get answers one way or the other. There was just one thing he had to be sure of first...he had to make sure that he really wasn't going crazy by one means or another.

* * *

Mae was going through her purchases in her room when Clara came in to see what she had bought. With a mild look of disgust upon her face, she went over and picked up one of the shirts Mae picked out. It was a black tank top under a black mesh sweater. "Did you only purchases black items?"

Mae looked at her mom as she put some stuff away in the closet. "I bought some red lingerie. Want to see it?"

Clara glared at her daughter a moment. "I am going to believe that you are kidding." Looking back to the pile of black clothes on the bed, she sighed heavily. "There are such lovely colors out in the world and yet you always come back with this."

"I wouldn't have had to come back with anything if _someone_ didn't throw out all my clothes...again." Mae handed the credit card back to her mother.

Clara took it back with yet another sigh then gave her a bit of information. "Damon is going out soon. You'll be able to get some practicing in then." On that note, she left Mae's room.

Clara went downstairs and was instantly greeted by Damon at the bottom when he said, "Come with me, please." His tone made it clear that he wasn't giving her a choice in the matter.

Damon didn't speak to her again until they were in the study with the door closed behind them. "I hear someone had a shopping spree. Was that really necessary?"

"Of course it was," Clara replied, instantly. "The Blood Moon is fast approaching, Damon. We're here but we need to make sure _she_ stays - By whatever means necessary if we have to. And that includes her cello."

Damon's eyes glowed red as he stepped closer to her. "Shaiya **warned** us what could happen if she connected too deeply with her past. Do you honestly believe that playing that instrument won't make that happen?"

Clara placed her hands on his chest as she calmly replied. "I believe that if we don't do whatever it takes to keep here in this pack – _your_ pack – then everything you wish to achieve with the Blood Moon will be for nothing. I believe Shaiya warned us about the ramifications of that as well."

Damon's eyes returned to normal as he took a deep breath. "For three years I've had to deal with her presence. I will not tolerate it any longer."

"Just until the Blood Moon," Clara assured. "And then she will be out of our lives for good." She had no qualms about this because, after all, Mae wasn't supposed to have been a part of this lives in the first place.

* * *

Deaton was working out front in the Animal Clinic when he saw Derek come in. The expression on his face made Deaton ask, "Derek, something wrong?"

"I think I'm seeing things," Derek replied then changed the wording. "I **know** I'm seeing things."

Deaton opened the door in the divider so Derek could cross into the back. He would need to hear more about what Derek was experiencing before he could give any form of diagnosis. "Come into the back and we'll see what the problem is."

Derek went into the back room without a word and Deaton followed. He explained that he'd been seeing things that couldn't be possible. After hearing this, Deaton performed some...tests to make sure Derek wasn't poisoned or anything like that but it all came back clear.

Derek threw his coat across the room when the last test came back negative. "You missed something!" He honestly doubted that Deaton had but he was no closer to finding out the truth that he was this morning. After flexing his hands he sat down and took deep breaths as his mind went over everything again.

Deaton leaned against the desk across from him and finally asked for more details. "What are you seeing exactly, Derek? You say it's impossible, but what is it?"

Derek leaned forward in the chair he was sitting in and sighed deeply. "Paige."

Deaton wasn't sure he had heard him correctly. "What did you say?"

Derek spoke louder that time. "Paige. I've been seeing Paige." He got to his feet and walked around the room as he continued to speak. "And I know that's insane because she dead. I – _I_ killed her. She died in my arms, but...I caught her scent. I _saw_ her."

Now Deaton finally understood. "I should have asked for more details earlier," he replied. "It would have saved us both a lot of time."

Derek had no idea what he was talking about and wanted more details. "What are you saying?"

Deaton continued with his explanation. "What you have told me is quite possible. Sacrifices that are made to the Nemeton are reborn as a...as a thank you for their sacrifice. That being said, Derek, you are not poisoned _or_ crazy."

Derek had a hard time wrapping his head around this. "Are you telling me that this girl _is_ Paige?" He shook his head in disbelief. "No. She died in my arms!"

"I'm not saying that she is, Derek." Deaton was trying to find the best way to explain it. "Paige is dead but her essence – her _soul_ has been reborn. Think of as reincarnation, if that makes it easier, and this girl you have been seeing is likely the reincarnation of Paige."

Derek still couldn't believe it. It was just too...out there. "Can't be. Paige was a human and this girl is a wolf. Her scent was werewolf, there's no mistaking that."

"You also said it was Paige's scent," Deaton retorted. "Honestly, I am surprised you haven't put it together already. Paige rejected the Bite – she would have died from it if you didn't kill her out of mercy. So wouldn't it make sense for her next life to be what Paige couldn't become in order to complete the cycle?"

Derek had to sit down after hearing all this. To say he was in a state of shock would be pretty accurate in that moment. "It's Paige...but it's not?"

Deaton nodded in reply because that was simplest explanation.

Turning to face Deaton, he asked "Will she remember me? Does she remember anything about her..." he corrected himself before the words all came out, "About Paige's life?" There was a part of Derek that hoped this girl would but there was just as big a part that hoped she didn't. At least, he hoped she wouldn't remember how Paige's life ended.

Deaton moved away from the desk as he answered. "I can't tell you that, Derek. Not even I know everything." With an encouraging look in his eyes he added in, "That's something you'll have to find out on your own."

Derek accepted that answer and had every intention of doing just that.

* * *

After leaving the Animal Clinic, Derek went straight to the Stilinksi house. There was no way he couldn't get Stiles involved now. He was the only person that Derek knew who had contact with the girl. Derek was a man on a mission and he was willing to do just about anything to get his answers.

The Sheriff wasn't home so without word nor warning, Derek went into the house and burst right into Stiles' room - which nearly gave the video game playing teenager a heart attack.

Stiles jumped about fifty feet when Derek came into his room like that. "What the hell, Derek?" he asked with shocked annoyance as he tossed the game controller on his bed as he stood.

Derek got right up in Stiles' face and said, "The girl who you were talking to this morning, who is she?"

At that moment he had no idea who Derek was talking about. "What girl?" He saw Derek's kill look and was quickly making the connections. "You mean the new girl who plays the cello?" When Derek nodded in a 'keep talking' manner, Stiles added, "That's Mae. Figured you'd already know that."

Derek was taken aback by that comment. "What do you mean?"

Stiles replied like it was the most obvious thing in the world. "Because she's living in your old house. Her family's the one that bought it." Before he was able to even finish his sentence, Derek was out the door. "What the hell was that about?" he thought aloud as he returned to his seat with every intention of going back to his game.

Just as Stiles reached for the controller, he changed his mind. Instead of resuming his session with the X-Box, he pulled out his cell phone and texted Scott to see if he knew what was up with Derek. Before he sent the text he remembered the story Peter had told him and Cora about Derek's first love. She had played the cello, hadn't she? He didn't think too much more about it and just went ahead with sending the text. There was no way it was connected...right?

* * *

It wasn't an easy decision to sell the Hale House property, but it was one Derek finally came around to. It sold to the first person who was interested in it – the _only_ person who was interested. All Derek knew was that it was someone from the East Coast. He let his lawyer handle the rest because he didn't really want to know the details. But in that moment as he stood in the woods just far enough away from the house to have it within his sights without being detected, he wished he had put more effort into knowing who was living there now.

Derek knew he had to tread lightly with this situation for more than one reason. He knew for a fact that the girl – that _Mae_ was a werewolf which meant she had a pack. She must have a pack. What Derek has seen of her thus far was not that of an Omega.

Derek could hear the cello music coming from the house through the open window upstairs. Flashes of memory entered his mind of Paige and how she used to play. He had to keep reminding himself that this girl – that Mae – wasn't Paige. At least...not entirely. What was he going to do? Honestly, he wasn't too sure.

For the first time in a _long_ time, Derek didn't have a plan. He couldn't exactly go up to the front door and ask to speak with the girl who looked exactly like his deceased girlfriend from when he was fifteen years old. Derek would just have to bide his time, wait for an opening. If nothing else, he had her name and knew where she lived. If nothing else, he was a start.

Derek was so consumed with his thoughts that he didn't even realize the music had stopped until the front door opened. He moved behind the tree a bit more to stay out of sight but kept who was coming out in his.

Mae walked out of the house and tied her hair up in a messy ponytail. She was wearing a black jogging outfit where the only hint of color was the neon green on the jacket's zipper. Mae pulled an armband on then stuck some ear-buds in her ears so she could listen to her music. While doing this, Mae looked around her, almost as if something was subconsciously telling her to. This act made Derek move even more out of sight. He didn't come out from behind the tree until he heard her start running.

Derek saw her take off towards one of the trails and since he wasn't about to lose sight for her for a second...a _third_ time, he followed after her.

* * *

Mae ran down the forest trail as music pumped into her ears. While playing the cello was something she loved more than anything, she just needed to get out for a run. Her practicing was making her think back to what happened after school that day and how she didn't have an real answer for any of it. Mae needed to clear her mind and that's what brought her out for a run.

When it came to running, Mae always tested herself. She would push herself to her limits and then beyond any chance she got. Running normally on this trail was proving to be too easy so she decided to kick it up a notch. Mae moved off the trail and started running freely through the woods and whatever unknown obstacles that might be laying in wait.

Mae jumped over fallen trees with ease and would jump at one to push off for more distance. The forest was her own personal obstacle course and she loved it. The only thing that she missed was a root that was obscured by just enough plant life that she missed it. Mae stumbled over it then dropped to the ground with a hearty laugh. Oh, did she need that laugh.

When Mae got back to her feet she looked around to see exactly where she had ended up. She'd been running for awhile and honestly wasn't quite sure where she was but it seemed she had run clear out of the forest. Deciding to explore a bit, she started walking at a normal pace.

It wasn't long before an abandoned building came into sight and that intrigued her a bit, but there was more than that. Mae felt like...well, she felt like she'd been there before. This major dejavu was starting to really get under her skin so instead of ignoring it, she went straight for the building.

Upon closer look, it appeared to be an old distillery but that didn't register until after something else had. There was a Spiral carved into the metal door that couldn't have been made by anything else than claws. Mae almost got the hell out of Dodge at that moment, but something kept her going. Besides, there were no fresh werewolf scents so whoever made that mark had to be long gone.

Mae pulled the ear-buds out of her ears before she pushed the large metal door aside and went in. There were some empty beer cans lying around but beyond that there was no evidence of anyone having been there for awhile.

Her steps brought her to the center of the room when suddenly it was like she was living a dream. The sound of her voice reached her ears only she wasn't speaking. The words she heard "Why do you like me?" and while it sounded like her voice, it wasn't her at all.

Mae was pulled from this all too real daydream when she caught a scent. She whipped around to face the doorway. The only thing that kept her from running away was that the scent was so familiar to her. Mae couldn't place who it was coming from but felt...she felt connected to it. If she was ever going to figure out what was going on with her then she couldn't keep running away.

She could hear the footsteps getting closer and the scent was getting stronger, so much so that she had to catch her breath. Mae didn't know why this oncoming werewolf, whoever it was, was giving her such a reaction. It had never happened before and couldn't explain why it was happening now.

Just in case this wolf wanted trouble, Mae stood ready. The footsteps stopped but she could see the person's shadow on the ground in front of them. "I know you're there!" she called out. "Might as well show yourself. When he did as she asked, she had to catch her breath all over again. Mae couldn't remember ever seeing him before and yet there was something so familiar about him. It seemed he felt the same way because he wouldn't – or perhaps it was couldn't – take his eyes off her.

This silence between them was starting to get a little unnerving so she asked, "Why are you looking at me like that? Do I know you or something?"

Staying where he stood, Derek said, "That's what I'm trying to figure out."

When Mae heard his voice she felt as if she'd been waiting her entire life to hear it and now – now she had.

* * *

End Chapter 3

* * *

 **A/N: I forgot to mention this before so here it is – The Return really has no concrete place in the Canon time-line of Teen Wolf. I'm having fun and taking AU liberties with it, as well as the locations of certain things.**

 **With that said, hope you like the story thus far and thanks for reading!**


	4. We've always been like Jo and Laurie

Derek was starting to think that making contact with Paige – with _**Mae -**_ was a bad idea. What if she remembered Paige's life? More importantly...what if she remembered Paige's death? He should have kept his distance for longer but he couldn't help it. The memories of Paige stuck with him all his days. How could he possibly not make an attempt to get to know Mae?

Mae shifted her weight a little as the awkward silence hung in the air between them in the distillery. She couldn't help feeling that she knew this wolf or at least had seen him before. He looked at her like he was seeing a ghost and Mae wasn't too sure how to process that. One thing she knew for certain, if one of them didn't start talking then this was going to continue being weird. "Who are you?" she asked, finally breaking the silence.

Derek couldn't help but finding that she had to ask his name a little amusing. The tables were turned, it seemed. Before, Paige knew who he was but he didn't know her. Now, Derek knew who she was but she didn't know him. It was also a bit of a relief but it also made him a little sad that she didn't remember him. Then again, perhaps it's for the best. It was all very conflicting. Finally, he answered her question, "Derek. Derek Hale."

"Bond. James Bond," Mae imitated said character because of how he introduced himself and did the same when she gave her name, "Mae. Mae Thorne." Suddenly, it clicked. "Hold on. Hale? As in the Hale House?"

Derek nodded in confirmation. "That's right."

"My family just bought that place from you," Mae crossed her arms with a chuckle because she figured that's why he seemed familiar – Like maybe his scent was still lingering on the property or something. "Well, Damon bought it from you." Mae corrected herself because she didn't have any say in the matter.

"That your father?" Derek asked, curiously.

Mae made a 'pfft' sound before saying, "Hell no." She then remembered how her mother has had an affair with Damon and her expression changed. "I don't think so...oh god, I hope not." She shuddered at the thought of it and _really_ hoped that wasn't the case.

Changing topics, she asked, "What are you doing here? Make a habit of following people?"

"I tend to keep an eye on the new wolves that come to Beacon Hills," he replied. Derek twisted the truth enough to keep it in a gray area and prevent her from picking up on it.

Mae listened to his heartbeat when he answered and didn't detect a lie there, so she made the joke "What? No welcoming party? That's lame."

Before Derek could get another word out, Mae said, "Well, nice seeing you again." She took a step then realized her words with a laugh. "I mean, nice to meet you." Mae had no idea why she said that it was nice to see him again when she had never seen him before in her life. At least, as far as she could remember.

Derek wanted to stop her but didn't. He let Mae pass and leave without another word. It went against every fiber of his being, but he still didn't stop her.

Derek walked out of the distillery and watched as Mae took off for the woods. There was so much he should have said or done and yet he stood there and did nothing. Then again, maybe their meeting did more than he thought. After all, she did say that it was nice to see him again. Maybe Mae knew more of Paige's life than she realized - even if it was just subconsciously. Still, he wasn't sure if that'd be a good thing or a bad one.

* * *

Mae thought about Derek the whole way home. She couldn't seem to get him out of her head. Mae had never had this kind of reaction to anyone before and yet she felt the same sense of dejavu she'd felt a million times since moving here. It wasn't just dejavu that she was feeling. It was like he had gotten under her skin all the way to her heart. But how was that possible? She'd jut met the guy! Right?

Mae was pulled from her thoughts when Ty moved off his seat on the porch steps and went over to her. "Where the hell have you been?" he practically demanded to know.

"I went for a run. I _told_ you that before I left," Mae defended, not liking his tone.

"I know that," he retorted. "Maybe I should have asked who the hell have you been with?" When Mae looked at him, confused, he added in, "You have a...scent on you. Who's is it?"

"I ran into one of the resident wolves," Mae answered honestly. "But I barely brushed up against him when I walked by. Hardly enough to get his scent on me like that."

Ty looked at her skeptically. "It's all over you, Mae. Damon's not going to be happy about this."

"Why? Because he expects us to be together?" Mae shot back. "I know Damon expects members of his pack to be with other members of his pack. And the last I knew, that just left us." She took a deep breath to compose herself. "I didn't do anything, Ty. But even if I did, it wouldn't matter because you're the last person I'd ever be with."

Ty was a bit hurt by her declaration. "Would that be so bad?"

"We've always been like Jo and Laurie," she explained. "And just like them... _never_ gonna happen." Mae left it at that and went up the porch steps, into the house.

Damon was right there waiting for her when she walked in. "You missed dinner."

"Sorry," Mae muttered and tried to make it to the stairs but he blocked her path. "What is it?" she asked, her patience growing thin.

Damon leaned forward and inhaled deeply. "I don't recognize that scent. Who is it?"

"I ran into the previous owner of this house. That's it. Now, can I go and wash up, please?" Mae really wanted to get out of his path before something happened.

Damon's posture straightened when he heard her explanation. "You are to have nothing to do with the Hale. You understand?"

Mae had no idea where that came from. "No...I _don't_ understand. Why?"

Damon had enough of Mae questioning him and backhanded her across the face because of it. "Because it's an order!" he shouted with eyes glowing red. "Do you understand **that**?!"

Mae gasped as soon as his hand made contact with her face. She quickly placed hers over the painful spot and looked at him with dry eyes. Mae was not going to let him see her cry. "Understood," she practically spat back before running up the stairs to her room.

Clara heard the commotion and rushed out to see what was going on. "Damon...you _can't_ do that to her. Not now. Not when you're so close to getting everything you wanted. If she leaves..."

"She won't!" Damon bellowed then calmly yet firmly added, "Not if she knows what's good for her."

Clara tried to get him to see reason. "Damon..."

He cut her off. "She was with the Hale."

Clara almost gasped when she heard that. " _The_ Hale? How? I thought he was in New Mexico now."

"That's what I was told," Damon replied as he walked into the kitchen with Clara right behind him. He was not pleased with this misinformation. "I would have timed things differently had I known he was still here!"

"She clearly doesn't remember anything," Clara reasoned. "If she had then she wouldn't have come back. We just need to keep a closer eye on her."

"Mae is not to leave this house until the Blood Moon." Damon was very adamant about that decision.

Clara had another idea in mind. "You should let her go," she softly countered. "Perhaps we can use the Hale to our advantage."

Damon was intrigued but didn't follow. "Explain."

"Mae needs to be a willing participant in the Blood Moon, correct?" Clara asked, hoping he'd catch on.

Damon nodded. "That is what Shaiya said."

It was clear that she'd have to fill in the blanks for him so she moved closer and wrapped her arms around his neck as she smiled. "Then perhaps we can use the Hale to make sure Mae does what she's supposed to, _instead_ of Ty."

Damon needed a moment then he figured it out. "The Hale could give her a more compelling reason," he answered with pleased darkness to his tone.

Clara moved closer and whispered, "Exactly," with a wicked little grin upon her face.

Damon laughed as he looked at her. "I like the way you think, woman."

* * *

That night, Mae couldn't sleep no matter how hard she tried so she sat on the front porch curled up in one of the wicker chairs, looking out at the forest. She gently touched the spot on her face where Damon had hit her. Even though the pain was no longer present she could still feel the sting of impact. Mae knew she was lucky to have only gotten that when she had received and seen Damon give out far worse in the past.

Mae quickly pulled down her hand when she heard the front door open. Upon seeing her father, she asked, "Can't sleep either?"

Kyle eased into the chair beside Mae but didn't look at her until he asked, "Did your mother ever tell you that you were an unexpected child?"

Mae shook her head in reply. She wasn't sure why her father was telling her this, but she'd let him continue.

"It's true. We didn't even know you were coming until one day you were here." Kyle looked at her softly – perhaps the softest he had ever looked at her. "I knew you were special the moment I first laid my eyes on you." He rose to his feet as he said, "You're destined for great things, Mae. I'm sure of it." Kyle gently kissed the top of her head before heading back into the house. "You should get some sleep. You have school in the morning."

Mae had _no idea_ what the hell that was all about. She'd never seen her father like this before. Yeah, he was way 'softer' than Damon was, but this was a whole other level. Mae was starting to get the feeling that there was more going on than she knew.

After her father went inside, Mae felt the urge to get up and walk around for a bit, so she walked down the porch steps and towards the trees to do just that. Hopefully, if nothing else, it'd tire her out so she could actually sleep.

Meanwhile, Kyle went into the living room and found Clara sitting on the sofa waiting for him. "I'm surprised you're still awake," he commented as he went to pour himself a drink from the cart in the corner.

"You can't allow yourself to get attached to the girl." Clara rose to her feet and walked over to her husband. "How many times must we go over this?"

Kyle finished off his glass with one gulp and sighed. "She's our daughter, Clara."

"No, she's **not** ," Clara answered firmly. "She was _never_ supposed to be a part of our lives."

"And yet she is!" Kyle exclaimed in a hushed tone. "Do you honestly believe that the Nemeton gave her to us just for Damon?"

Clara couldn't believe what she was hearing. "Are you having second thoughts about this?" She scoffed heavily when Kyle didn't answer her, let alone look at her. "You are. You know what Shaiya said..."

Kyle almost broke the glass in his hand when he heard Shaiya's name again. "I don't care what that Darach has to say. She believes in fairy stories!"

Clara took offense to his words. "Shaiya pulled the wool from our eyes and let us see things for what they _really_ are. That does not make her a Darach, Kyle. You know as well as I that the legend is far more than a fairy story." She walked right up to him to make something perfectly clear. "The Blood Moon is approaching, Kyle Thorne. You are either with us or against us. I believe you know what happens to those who are against us."

Kyle knew very well and didn't wish that upon himself but he didn't wish Mae's fate upon her either. With his voice breaking, losing his composure and strength, he said "She's our little girl."

Clara scoffed as she whipped around to leave the room. "Stop saying that! She's not our daughter, she never has been and she never will be!" Throwing her hand out, she added, "Mae is nothing more than the means to an end."

"What happened to you, Clara?" Kyle couldn't keep that question to himself any longer. "What happened to the woman I fell in love with – who I married?"

Clara's blue eyes glowed as she turned back to face him. "You know as well as I what happened to her."

"That was Damon's doing, not yours." Kyle remembered that night and it ate at him to this day. "He made you kill them. That wasn't your fault. We should have left his pack long ago."

"You finally said what you think of me," Damon said from the doorway.

Kyle was instantly filled with fear when he saw his Alpha standing there. "I – I'm sorry," he stammered before looking down. "I was upset."

Damon walked over to Kyle and placed his hand on his shoulder. "Do not apologize. I am glad you finally expressed yourself."

Kyle looked up to try and understand why Damon was being so...fine about this and soon realized the truth when he felt Damon's claw being thrust into his chest.

"I've been waiting for an excuse for this," Damon said darkly before ripping Kyle's heart out. He dropped it on the floor beside Kyle's lifeless body then wiped his hand off on Kyle's shirt.

Clara was in a state of shock. She knew that Damon had threatened to do this to Kyle many times, but never thought he'd actually do it. "What have you done?" She finally spoke.

"What I should have done long ago," Damon answered without a care as he finished wiping off his hand. "Do you have an issue with this?"

Clara could almost hardly process these events and gasped when she saw Mae had joined them. "Mae –..."

"Mae what?" Damon demanded to know then turned around to see her standing in the doorway.

Tears were streaming down Mae's face as her eyes locked onto her father's body on the floor with his heart lying right beside him. Her entire body shook as the realization set it – Damon had killed her father. Without even thinking, Mae wolfed out and growled before lunging at Damon with every intention of killing him.

Mae was strong for a Beta but she was still nothing compared to the strength of Damon. He incapacitated her with ease and threw her against the wall. Before Mae could get her bearings, Damon grabbed her by her throat and lifted her up so her feet dangled.

Damon was wolfed out as his snarled at her, watching as she tried to break free from his grip as she struggled for breath. "Insolent girl!"

"Damon!" Clara shouted, and rushed over to them. "You can't do this! You can't!"

Damon wanted nothing more than to kill Mae right then and there for her insolence but if he did then all this would be for nothing. So instead, he threw Mae aside like she was nothing more than a rag-doll. "Take care of this mess," he spat at her before storming out of the room.

Mae rubbed her throat as she coughed and gasped for air, looking up at her mother. "How could you let him do this!" she finally managed to shout at her.

Clara walked over to Mae and pointed firmly at her. "Kyle brought this upon himself. And if you don't keep yourself in check the same will happen to you." Clara had enough of this night and too left the room.

Ty had been woken up at this point and went downstairs to see what was going on. He froze when he saw Kyle's body and Mae crying on the floor. Ty instantly went over to Mae and wrapped his arms around her.

"Damon killed him," she cried. "He killed him!"

* * *

Ty took care of burying Kyle's body and cleaned up the living room so Mae wouldn't have to. It was morning when all this was done and on the way back into the house he found Mae sitting on the front porch steps. Ty didn't know what to say that could even remotely make her feel better so he just sat down beside her.

Mae confided in Ty in that moment. "I want to kill him. One day, I _will_ kill him."

Ty sighed as he wrapped his arm around her shoulders. "You'll never be strong enough to take him on, Mae. It's a suicide mission to even try."

"Maybe not today, or tomorrow, but one day...Damon will die by my hand. I swear it." After making this vow, Mae pulled off Ty's arm and picked up her backpack that was behind her.

Ty watched as she started to head off and asked, "Mae...where are you going?"

"School." She answered like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

Ty thought she must be having some sort of a breakdown or something. "Mae...your father just died. Don't you think you should be home, grieving?"

"My father didn't just die. He was murdered," she retorted. "One of the last things he said to me was that I was destined for great things, and I'll be damned if I don't try my best to live up to that."

* * *

Mae could hardly concentrate at school. Who could blame her? Granted no one knew what was going through her mind – she couldn't tell anyone. All Mae wanted to do was scream on the rooftop and kill Damon, not necessarily in that order. But something she found herself wanting to do more was to see Derek Hale again. It almost drove her crazy not understanding why after what happened the only person she wanted was him.

Mae was so consumed with her thoughts that she didn't even notice that a red head girl had taken the seat across from her at the outdoor lunch table. When she finally did, and saw that the red head was looking at her oddly, she shot out " **What?!** "

The red head tilted her head to the side as if she was examining her and asked as if she was almost in a daze, "How are you not dead?"

Mae thought this girl was insane and was about to leave but stopped when Stiles came over and sat next to the girl, saying "Lydia, there you are. We've been waiting for you." He then turned to Mae, "Hey."

Mae was about to answer but the red head – Lydia – spoke. Lydia turned to Stiles saying, "I got distracted." Smiling at Mae, she added, "Hi, I'm Lydia."

"Mae," she answered then stood up and walked away without a word.

"That's not right," Lydia thought aloud and started to go after her.

Stiles had no idea what was going on so he followed, asking "Lydia, what are you doing?"

"She's supposed to be dead, but she's not meant to be," Lydia replied, trying to keep Mae in her sights as she made an attempt to catch up.

Stiles was all the more confused. "What are you talking about?"

Lydia stopped in frustration and exclaimed. "I don't know!" She took a breath and said more quietly, "All I know is what I feel and I feel that even though this girl is supposed to be dead...we _can't_ let her die." Lydia realized that they had stopped walking and she had taken her eyes off Mae so she tried to find her again but failed.

Mae walked out of the school's doors and headed towards the parking lot. She had no idea where she was going but knew she just had to get the hell out of there. Mae was just about to cross when a Toyota SUV pulled up to her. A wave of relief moved through her when she saw that Derek was the driver.

"What are you doing here?" she asked as he rolled down the passenger window so they could talk. "You stalking me now?" Mae was clearly joking with that question and that made her feel bad for even being able to make that joke.

Derek leaned over a little bit with his reply. "Someone's got a big ego," he teased then could tell something was up. "You doing alright?"

Mae took a deep breath and crossed her arms with a shake to her head. "No," she answered with her voice breaking slightly. "Not really."

Derek leaned over and opened the passenger door for her. "Come on."

"I was raised never to accept rides from strangers," she replied as she opened the door the rest of the way.

Derek didn't even think about his answer when he said, "Am I really a stranger to you?"

Mae didn't know how to answer that but she did know that every fiber of her being was telling her to get into the car...so she did.

* * *

Derek sat across from Mae in the diner and waited for her to tell him what was going on with her – if she even wanted to. So far, she hadn't said a word about it and just placed an order for chicken fingers and curly fries – the same thing Paige would always order.

Mae was sipping on her soda in silence. This whole place, this whole scene, Derek...they all seemed so familiar to her. Mae felt like she'd been here many times before and yet this was her first time coming to this diner since moving to Beacon Hills. She had to talk about it with someone so she asked, "You ever feel dejavu?"

Derek wasn't expecting that to be the first thing she said, but he answered nonetheless. "Usually no, but I have to say lately, yes."

"Is it because of me?" Mae asked, wanting – no – _needing_ to know.

"Now why do you think that?" Derek replied, wondering just how far this was about to go.

"Because I feel it around you. Hell, I feel it just by being in this town." Mae pushed her drink aside with a sigh. "Maybe I'm just going crazy."

"You're not," he instantly assured her.

Mae almost chuckled. "You sound pretty sure of yourself there."

Derek looked at her with serious and sincere eyes. "Because I am." Changing the topic, he asked, "What was bothering you back at the school?"

Mae didn't appreciate the segue but felt she owed him that explanation – even if it wasn't the whole truth. She wasn't sure how Derek would react to finding out that her Alpha had killed her father so she said, "My father's dead."

Derek wasn't expecting that to come out of her mouth. "I'm sorry." And he genuinely was.

"I really don't want to talk about it." That was most certainly the truth.

After their food came, Mae had to change the subject. If she didn't then she was going to fall apart, "You never answered my question."

Derek knew which question she was referring to. "Yes."

Mae had a slight double-take moment there. "What?"

"Yes," he repeated. "My dejavu moments are because of you."

Okay, now Mae really wanted more answers. "Why?"

Derek should have lied but she'd likely have picked up on that. "Mae..." he was trying to find the right words to say. "If we go down this road...there's no coming back."

Mae had no idea what he was talking about and needed to understand. "Derek, I _need_ to know. What's going on?"

* * *

Derek didn't answer her until they were back at the high school. The school was pretty much empty by that point so Derek thought it'd be the best place to discuss it.

"Are you going to tell me now?" Mae asked him as she sat in one of the chairs in the empty music room. "I think I've been patient enough, don't you? And why did this have to be discussed here of all places?"

Derek pulled over a chair and sat beside her. He had no idea what to say or how to say it. All he could seem to do was look at her – who she was and who she had become.

"Derek," Mae pleaded, "tell me."

"Do you trust me?" he then asked.

Mae nodded. "I don't know why but yeah, I do."

Derek waited a moment or two before asking his next question, "Do you love me?" There was no beating around the bush with that question. Derek just dove right.

Mae laughed at him like he was nuts. "I just met you yesterday, Derek."

Derek took her hand in his and looked her right in the eye. "Do you love me?"

Mae's eyes locked with his and they were held there. Her subconscious took over as she said softly, "I hate you."

Derek smiled, hoping he was doing the right thing, as he whispered, "You love me."

In that moment so many things came rushing back to Mae. It wasn't everything about Paige's life but it was far more than enough. In an almost state of shock she jumped to her feet, knocking over the folding chair as she did. Mae couldn't find the words to speak because so much was happening to her all at once – voices, images, memories of her past as Paige were filling her mind.

When Mae could finally feel like she could function again, even if she didn't fully understand, she looked at Derek with tears in her eyes because looking at him was like coming home. "Derek..."

Derek could see the change in her eyes. It was like realization had finally set in. He hoped he wasn't being selfish in this decision, in helping her remember. When Mae said his name like that, he went right over to her and held her close. "I'm here. I swear I'm not going anywhere."

Mae practically melted into his touch as she held onto him for what felt like dear life.

* * *

When things calmed down, they went outside to the parking lot. They both sat on the hood of his vehicle and just let things process. Finally Mae said, "The dribbling makes so much sense now." When Derek looked at her in question, she elaborated. "The other day when I was practicing I heard a basketball being dribbled out in the hall. Only when I went out to give them a piece of my mind no one was there." She smiled as she looked at him. "I was remembering the day we met. The day you and Paige met, I mean." Mae was still trying to wrap her head around that. "Does this mean I'm her reincarnation or something? I didn't even know those existed."

"I didn't either until recently," he admitted. "And yeah, you pretty much are."

"Is it weird that we're handling this so well?" Mae asked as she pointed back and forth between them. "I mean...shouldn't there be more freaking out? You think there'd be some major freaking out or something." It was almost humorous as to just how little there was.

Derek answered with what he felt. Now whether or not it was accurate, he couldn't say, but it's what he felt. "I don't think it is. We both know it's the truth and have accepted it. What more is there?" Suddenly a scent caught Derek's attention. "Someone's coming." He got off the car and stood ready, just in case.

Meg caught the scent as well and instantly recognized it as Ty's. "Crap," she said to herself as she slid off the hood of the car to her feet. It wasn't long after this action that Ty crossed the parking lot and walked towards them.

Ty didn't acknowledge Derek's presence and spoke only to Mae. "It's time to come home now."

"I'm good," Mae retorted, crossing her arms to emphasize her stance.

Ty chose his words carefully since there was a wolf outside of their pack present. "Damon _wants_ you home."

"Well _I_ don't want to go," she shot back. "I want nothing to do with him. Not after what he's done."

"Mae, can we please discuss this elsewhere?" Ty pleaded because he knew how bag things could get if they let an outsider in on what their pack was like.

"How about we don't discuss this at all?" she countered, like it was the most obvious thing in the world. "If you're an ounce of how smart I think you are, you'll get out too."

Ty couldn't let this progress. "Mae..." he started but was soon cut off.

"She's not going with you," Derek protectively interjected. "I think it's time for you to go."

"Well I think it's time for you to mind your own goddamn business," Ty shot out. "This is between me and her."

Derek ignored his words and looked at Mae in question. "Boyfriend?"

"Yeah," Ty answered in a territorial manner. "Got a problem with that." His eyes turned golden as he stepped forward with a growl.

Derek answered with his ice blue eyes but didn't move an inch because Mae got in between them with her hands held up towards them both.

"Back up, boys. This isn't some teen drama." Mae made herself pretty damn clear as she turned to Ty. "I don't care what Damon's rule is. We are **not** a couple. I'm Jo, you're Laurie and that's _all_ we're ever going to be. Now will you please just leave me alone and trust me?"

Ty didn't want to pull the card he was about to but he had no other choice. "If I don't come back with you, you know what he'll do to me."

Mae had so much swimming around in her mind that she honestly hadn't thought about that and now that she had...well, she felt like she had no other choice. Mae turned to Derek and regrettably said, "I have to go."

Derek didn't like what he was hearing and could easily imagine what was being exchanged between the lines. "Mae..."

She cut him off by placing her hands on her shoulders and smiling. "I think we've both come to realize that if there's one thing I'm good at, it's surviving." Mae smiled again and started walking off with Ty. After a little bit she turned around and walked backwards while saying, "You're not going to get rid of me that easily."

Once they were out of earshot, Ty scoffed. "What's so special about _him_?"

Mae turned to him and answered in what she truly believed. "He's my destiny."

* * *

End Chapter 4


	5. Long Story

"You're **late** ," Damon bellowed when Mae and Ty walked through the front door.

"I had some things to attend to," Mae sassed back. "Are you going to kill me for that?" She was really pushing his buttons and knew it.

Damon growled as he walked right up to her. "You are testing my patience, little girl."

Ty intervened in that moment, cautiously saying, "Perhaps it'd be best if Mae and I went upstairs. We'd both be out of your hair that way."

Damon looked at Ty with a vicious gleam to his eyes. "I have a far better idea in mind." Looking to Mae he added in, "It's time for you to relearn that your actions have consequences." Damon was going to make Mae behave one way or another - even if it meant punishing someone she cared about instead. He knew he shouldn't risk taking the lesson out on her in case he went too far, but he could do the next best thing in his eyes. Damon grabbed Ty by his collar and started pulling him towards the cellar stairs.

"Damon!" Mae exclaimed going after him. "What are you doing?!"

"Making sure you remember what you learn this time." Damon threw Ty down the stairs and followed.

"You can't do this!" Mae shouted as she practically ran down the stairs and over to Ty.

Damon turned around with eyes glowing as red as the fury in his soul. "I am the Alpha! I can do anything that I want! If I want to kill, I **kill**. I would have thought seeing your father last night would have made that very clear."

Mae stood in front of Ty protectively - She wasn't about to let what happened to her father happen to Ty. "I'm not going to stand here and let you hurt him for something I did!"

Ty was ready to accept the punishment if it meant keeping Mae from harm. "Mae, get out of here. It's fine."

"No it's not!" Mae was sick and tired of living in Damon's pack like this. It wasn't right – not by a long shot. "This isn't what a real Alpha does." Mae looked right at Damon and spat, "You're nothing more than a pathetic little Beta on a power trip."

Damon had enough of her insolence and changed into his wolf form. He let out a loud roar to prove his dominance, but while it sent Ty cowering to his knees it made Mae shift as well and roar right back.

Damon fully extended his claws as he stalked over to Mae across the large, open cellar. "You dare challenge me, girl?"

Before Mae could answer, Ty pleaded, "Damon, don't hurt her, please. She's just a kid."

"I'm not a kid," Mae retorted. "I'm a survivor." With that declaration, Mae let out another roar and charged towards Damon. She didn't care in that moment whether or not she lived through this battle with him. Mae was done cowering in fear and if she had to go down, she wasn't going to go down without a fight.

* * *

"Lydia, you're not making any sense," Stiles stated as he and Lydia walked through the woods towards the Hale House – towards _Mae's_ house.

"We can't let her die, Stiles!" Lydia exclaimed for at least the tenth time.

"You keep saying that but what are we supposed to do?" Stiles threw his hand out towards the house that was now within sight. "You won't let me call Scott and you expect us to what? Go up there and say 'Hey, Mae, we're here to make sure you don't die today'?"

Lydia stopped walking and pressed her hands together. "I can't really explain it Stiles, but trust me on this. Okay? You've done it before I'm pretty sure you're capable of doing it again. Mae is in trouble, I can feel it. We need to get to her, **now**."

Stiles started walking again as soon as she did but there was something he still didn't understand. "Why can't we call Scott for some backup? We're not exactly capable of taking on a wolf pack, you know."

"Didn't I just ask you to trust me?" Honestly she wasn't sure why she didn't feel like they could call Scott but it just didn't feel like time. Lydia sighed as she thought about this then stopped because she sensed something. "He's killing her." She picked up her pace to a run towards the house.

As soon as she reached the front door, she started pounding on it. When the door finally opened, Lydia didn't recognize who the young man was but he couldn't have been much older than her. "Where's Mae?" she demanded to know.

Ty walked out onto the porch and closed the door behind him. "She's not home right now."

"You're lying," Lydia shot back and tried to get into the house but Ty stopped her.

"You don't want to do that," he warned.

"I'd let her through if I were you," Stiles stated once he caught up. "She's not as innocent as she looks."

All eyes turned to Damon who had opened the door and stepped outside to join them. "Friends of yours, Ty?"

Ty's posture straightened. "No, Damon. They're looking for Mae."

Lydia wasn't afraid of this guy. "We know she's in there."

Damon smiled and chuckled as a part of his act. "I'm afraid you're mistaken. Mae hasn't come home from school yet. But I'll be sure to let her know you stopped by." He could tell the red-headed girl was going to say something else so he was firmer with his words. " **Good day**."

Ty went back into the house first then Damon followed, locking the door behind him.

"Now what?" Stiles asked, looking at Lydia.

Lydia walked down the porch steps and back towards the car. " _Now_ we call for backup."

* * *

It wasn't long before Scott showed up after getting filled in on what Lydia and Stiles knew. He had to admit that it was a bit weird but if Lydia said that this girl Mae needed to be saved then he was going to do whatever he could to do it.

"Hopefully they didn't close this off during the renovations," Scott said quietly as he moved some brush away from the tunnel entrance leading to the cellar of the house. Seeing that it was still open gave him so hope. "So far so good."

"Don't say that," Stiles said to him as he led the way into the tunnel. "Whenever anyone says that things end up going to hell."

Lydia shushed them both and went ahead of them. "We're close. I – I can feel her." She couldn't explain the pull she felt towards Mae, but it was there and she wasn't going to ignore it.

The three of them went down the tunnel and Scott managed to break off the metal bars that were blocking the path to the door leading down to the cellar.

"You sure know your way around," Lydia pointed out after Scott got the bars down.

"I haven't been down here since Kate held Derek captive," Scott admitted, "But not much has changed." That answer didn't hold much weight after he snapped off the lock and pulled the door open to the cellar. It was far more open and bigger than it was before. In fact, there was nothing in there except for a generator in the corner that was attached to a cage that was just big enough to hold a person. And within that cage was a bloodied Mae.

Lydia gasped when she saw this and ran right over to her but stopped when Scott grabbed her hand and said, "Don't touch that yet. It's electrified."

Stiles switched off the generator and Scott was the one to check to make sure it was safe. Upon finding it was, he snapped off the lock and opened the cage door. Scott instantly went to check on her pulse. "She's still alive."

"We have to make sure she stays that way," Lydia emphasized for the millionth time.

Scott was getting Mae out of there when they heard the door open upstairs. Stiles pointed out the obvious, "Someone's coming."

Scott quickly got the unconscious Mae out of the cage and carried her in his arms but they didn't get out of there fast enough before Ty came down the stairs.

"What are you doing?! He'll kill you all!" Ty couldn't let them take her as much as he wanted Mae to be safe.

"He almost killed her!" Lydia shot back. "Are you okay with that?"

"This is not your concern. Give Mae to me and get out of here. Now." Ty's eyes turned golden as he made his demand and was taken aback a bit when the one holding Mae returned that action by showing off his red eyes. "You're an Alpha?" Ty was having second thoughts now. Any Alpha had to be better for Mae than Damon. "Get out of here. Go!"

They didn't stick around after hearing that, but Lydia said a quick "Thank you" before following them.

Ty gave them as much of a head-start as he could before running up to tell Damon that Mae was gone.

Scott and the others were getting Mae into Stiles' Jeep when they heard a _very_ unhappy roar coming from the house. "Drive!" Lydia exclaimed as she closed the door. Scott had already taken off on his dirt bike but Stiles was still fidgeting with the keys.

Lydia looked out the window and saw Damon charging for them. "Stiles, DRIVE!" Lydia shouted again and he finally got the keys in and the Jeep started before speeding off.

Damon chased after them for a little before stopping. This wasn't supposed to happen but there had to be a way to use it to his advantage.

* * *

Clara stood in the living room as Damon filled her in on what had happened when she was in town. "Mae was taken by another Pack! Damon, what if they know of the legend?"

"I highly doubt that a group of teenagers know the significance of the Blood Moon," Damon replied, unphased.

Clara was doing her best to keep her temper in check but this was going too far. "You can't know that."

"Perhaps it's for the best." Damon poured himself another drink and moved over to the sofa.

Clara had no idea where the hell this was coming from. "Mae getting taken by another Pack is for 'the best'? Please explain your logic or lack thereof."

Damon bolted to his feet and clasped his hand tightly around Clara's throat. "Do you want to end up like your husband?" he growled before releasing her. "Let Mae have a taste of what life outside of my Pack is like. Let her be happy for a little while. Because when it all gets ripped away from her, it'll make the sacrifice even sweeter."

Clara rubbed her throat where he had grabbed her while she had her doubts about this plan. Damon was clearly set in his ways so she would have to go along with it – at least for now. "Mae will need to be in your possession by the Blood Moon."

Damon was very certain that things would go his way even with this change of events. "And she will be."

Clara sat next to Damon with her own drink and sighed. "Where is Ty now?"

Damon gestured towards the ceiling. "He's in his room."

"You didn't punish him?" Clara was shocked to hear this.

Damon finished off his drink. "I wanted to but decided against it. If my son is going to be of any use to me, he needs to be in one piece when I need him."

* * *

Mae was a faster than normal healer but with all the wounds she received from her Alpha, it still took awhile for her to wake up. When she did, it freaked her out to realize that she wasn't in the basement of her house – or even _in_ her house for that matter.

Stiles was sitting in the corner waiting for her to wake up. It was agreed that since he was the most familiar face that he should be the first one she saw. "Hey, you're awake. You okay?"

Mae painfully scrambled as far back as she could on the bed she was on without taking her eyes off Stiles. "What did you do? Where the hell am I!"

Stiles stood up but didn't try to go over to her because she was really freaked out. "We rescued you. Surprise!"

"You have _no_ idea what you've gotten yourself into!" Mae shouted back.

Stiles laughed at the assumption. "I've been a part of werewolf related stuff _long_ before you came along. So, I'm pretty sure I know what I'm in for."

"How did you know I'm a werewolf?" Mae asked, because she sure as hell didn't tell him.

"Didn't until Scott got a whiff of your scent," Stiles explained. "But when that Ty guy showed off his eyes it was a pretty safe assumption."

Mae felt like her head was spinning. "Scott?"

"Scott McCall, he's an Alpha," Stiles went towards the door, offering "I can go get him if you want."

"No," Mae groaned as she started to get up. "I have to get out of here. If Damon finds me here, he'll kill you all."

"We've survived worst," Stiles assured – even though he knew not all have them have survived – but didn't get out another word before Lydia came in.

Looking to Mae she said, "You, in bed," turning to Stiles she added, "You, get out."

Stiles wasn't going to argue with that and went downstairs.

Lydia went over to Mae and inspected her more visible wounds. "You're not dying on my watch."

"Who the hell _are you_?" Mae thought this girl was trippy and she couldn't handle anything else right then.

"I'm Lydia, I already told you that at school." Lydia sat at the foot of the bed with a sigh. "You have to explain something to me, Mae. I feel like you're already supposed to be dead and yet I also feel like I can't let you die. Care to shed some light on that?"

Mae just stared at her blankly before sassing, "I want a lawyer."

Lydia rolled her eyes at that remark. "You don't trust us, I get it. But we are here to help you, so please let us."

"I didn't ask for your help," Mae retorted. "I had things under control."

"Getting slashed up from head to toe then being locked in a cage is hardly having things under control." Lydia got up with a sigh. "But fine, have it your way. Don't bother trying to leave the house. Stiles put up the Mountain Ash barrier to keep any unwanted visitors from coming in."

Mae looked at Lydia like she was insane and said just that. "You people are insane."

"Honestly, I think we need a little insanity in order to get through what we go through." Lydia shrugged a little bit before taking her leave. "Get some more rest and when you're ready come downstairs if you can."

Mae blinked a few times before slouching down into the bed. "This is a weird dream or a hallucination. It has to be. This is too weird _not_ to be."

* * *

After a little while longer, Mae slowly made her way downstairs to find Stiles and the one she assumed to be Scott asleep on the floor while Lydia was on the couch. Was it really that late? That didn't matter, Mae didn't intend on sticking around so she headed for the door but of course wasn't able to get through because of the Mountain Ash barrier. "Okay, so that was true."

"You're awake." Mae turned around to find the one she assumed to be Scott getting to his feet. "I'm Scott," he greeted. Looks like her assumption was correct.

"I want to leave," she replied, pointing to the door. "Get your Emissary to take it down."

Scott wasn't sure what she was talking about but then it clicked. "Oh, you mean Stiles? He's not my Emissary. He's...Stiles."

Mae didn't care one way or another. "Look, it really doesn't matter to me. Just let me out of here. It'll be for your own good."

Scott was calm and kind with his words. "I know that I don't know you but I do know what your Alpha did was wrong. If he does manage to track you here he won't be able to get in. So why don't you try and have a peaceful night?"

Mae slowly crossed her arms because she wasn't fully healed yet and thought about what he had to say. Finally she caved. Why she caved she didn't know but she did. "Alright, fine, I'll stay. But tomorrow, I'm gone."

Scott wasn't going to argue about that right then. "If you feel that way in the morning, I won't stop you."

Mae narrowed her eyes at him. "What's the catch?"

"There's no catch," he swore. "I'm not going to keep your prisoner, Mae. I just want to help keep you safe."

Mae opened her mouth to speak but abruptly closed it because she was too tired and too sore to figure him out. So instead she simply said, "I'm going back to bed," and went upstairs.

Scott went back to his spot on the floor as Stiles asked, "Did she mention Derek at all?"

This was the first Scott had heard of a connection between Derek and Mae. "No, why?"

Stiles rolled over and explained, "Because Mae's the girl I told you about before – the one Derek asked me about."

Scott felt like he needed more details so he made the decision to call Derek first thing in the morning.

* * *

Mae woke up that Saturday morning like every other time the past couple weeks - from a dream that felt very real. It almost felt like a memory...one that wasn't hers. There wasn't time to really think about all that because there were more pressing matters at hand.

Mae climbed out of the bed far easier than the day before because she was almost fully healed. Granted she wasn't ready to go and try to attack anyone quite yet but still it was one hell of an improvement. After pulling on her shoes, Mae went downstairs and was surprised to see Derek there. "Derek?" Mae just about ran into his arms.

Derek held her, saying "I shouldn't have let you go. I should have been there for you."

"You couldn't have stopped me, and you're here now." When she pulled back from the hug she asked, "How are you here? How did you know I was here?"

"Scott called," he explained. "We go back a ways."

As if on cue, Scott came into the living room. "Still want to leave?" he asked Mae, still willing to let her go if she wanted to.

"You're trying to leave?" Derek wasn't about to let that happen. "You're safe here, Mae."

"So I've been told," Mae sighed. "Even if I am safe here, it's only temporary. There's no way Damon is going to just let me go. He doesn't operate like that. And if I don't go back soon he will come after anyone who helped me. I don't want that on my hands."

Derek looked at her with pleading eyes. "Mae, please. Just give it another day at least to think about it."

Mae looked away before meeting his eyes. "Fine, one more day." Turning to face Scott, she asked, "What's for breakfast?"

Scott led Mae into the kitchen just as Stiles was leaving it. Stiles went over to Derek and asked, "So what's the deal with this girl?"

Derek really didn't have any intention of telling him that. "None of your business."

"We risked our lives to blindly save her because of a hunch Lydia had," Stiles retorted. "I'm pretty sure that made it our business."

Derek crossed his arms as he looked at Stiles. He didn't want to tell him what was going on but he knew Stiles wouldn't let it go until he had an answer. Well, that and he knew that Peter told Stiles the story so it wouldn't need much more of an explanation. "Mae is Paige's – for lack of better term – reincarnation."

Stiles thought the name sounded familiar and it finally clicked. "Whoa...Paige? As in Paige, _Paige_. Your Paige!" When Derek nodded, Stiles thought his brain was going to explode. "How did _that_ happen?"

"Deaton said Paige was reborn as a reward for her sacrifice at the Nemeton," Derek explained. "Beyond that, I can't answer it."

Stiles let out a 'mind-blown' breath. "No wonder Lydia said it felt like Mae was already dead." After a moment he added in, "But why, besides the obvious, is it so important for her not to die this time?"

Derek wasn't too keen on the question. "Stiles. The obvious answer is probably the correct one." Ending that particular conversation, Derek joined Scott and Mae in the kitchen.

* * *

The group was just about done with breakfast when Lydia came into the McCall house with a suitcase in hand. "This should be everything you might need," she stated, setting it down on the table.

Mae's eyes went wide at the sight of how big it was. "You packed enough for a month."

Lydia waved her hand like it was nothing. "Hardly."

Mae wasn't even going to touch that topic right now and asked Scott, "Where are you parents? Aren't they going to wonder why you have a strange girl crashing here?"

"It's just my mom and it wouldn't be the first time a friend of the werewolf variety has crashed in the guest room." Scott didn't want her to worry about that. "It's not going to be a problem."

Lydia sat in the chair next to Mae and smiled. "You care to tell us anything more about your story?"

"You first," Mae shot back, dropping her fork onto her plate and crossing her arms. "Why do you keep going on saying you feel like I'm already dead?"

"I'm a Banshee," Lydia simply answered. "It comes with the territory."

Mae almost let out a laugh then realized she was serious. "No shit, really?" She'd heard of Banshees before but never knew of anyone who'd actually met one. Mae looked at Stiles to ask, "If you're not a Druid, then what are you?"

"Human," he answered with a mouthful of waffles.

"Okay...any other weird beings in this pack I should know about before they randomly appear?" Mae looked at those present, Derek included, and waited for an answer.

Lydia was the first to say something. "Kira's a Kitsune, but she's still with the Skinwalkers. And Malia is a Werecoyote but she's...out of town at the moment. That's about it for the non-Werewolf varieties."

"So this is a ragtag pack with a teenage Alpha?" Mae laughed at that as she looked to Derek. "And I'm safe here?"

"True Alpha," Derek corrected.

Mae didn't think she heard him right. "What?"

"Scott's a True Alpha and this 'ragtag pack' has been through more than you can imagine." Derek didn't hold back with his words because it was about time to give credit where it was due.

Mae turned to Scott and looked as if she was examining him. "True Alphas are like one in a million. How the hell did you manage that?"

Scott finished his waffles and chuckled lightly. "Long story."

* * *

Ty cautiously entered the kitchen where Damon was sitting at the counter. He was afraid to ask what was on his mind but he had to know. "I apologize if I'm bothering you but...when are we going to get Mae?"

"We're not," Damon replied before sipping his coffee.

There was no way Ty heard his correctly. "We're _not_?" Honestly he didn't want them to go after Mae but to actually hear Damon say that they weren't going to was beyond unexpected.

Damon wasn't about to share his plan with Ty. His son has proved less than worthy in his eyes. "Are you questioning my judgment?"

Ty instantly dropped his head. "N – no. You know best."

"I do," Damon agreed. "Be sure not to question my word again. I only spared you from punishment because you dealt with Kyle's mess. I won't be so lenient again."

Ty nodded in understanding. "Understood." He was about to leave but Damon spoke again.

"Be sure the guest room is ready for this evening." Damon finished off his coffee and set the mug aside.

This was the first time Ty had heard anything about a guest coming. Hell, he didn't even know who _want_ to come see them. "For who?"

Damon grinned a bit darkly when he answered, "Shaiya is coming."

* * *

End Chapter 5


	6. You did what to the what now?

The bell above the door in the Animal Clinic jingled as a woman entered. "One moment," Deaton's voice called out before exiting the back room and almost froze at the sight of the woman standing there. "Shaiya, you're not supposed to be here. You've been banished."

"She's been long dead," Shaiya laughed as she slid her coat off her shoulders and dropped it over the divider between him and her. "I don't think Talia has much say anymore to those who do not care to listen. Besides, I have a different Alpha to serve."

Deaton didn't like the fact she was there. Shaiya was as close to a Darach as one could become without actually crossing the line – despite how innocent she appeared. "What are you doing here? I will not ask again."

"I'm here, in this little Animal Clinic of yours, to give you a warning." She moved some of her curly hair over her shoulder and leaned forward, placing her hands on the divider. "Do you really think you can stop the Blood Moon?" Shaiya laughed at this. "Your boy-Alpha and his Pack don't know what they're getting themselves into. Stay out of this, Deaton if you want your Pack to survive." As she pulled her jacket off the divider, she added in, "I will not tell you this again."

"We will stop this. The Lamb will not be sacrificed." Deaton was firm with his words towards her. He would not let it happen.

Shaiya stopped at the door and looked back only long enough to say, "History will repeat itself. It always does."

* * *

Ty cautiously went downstairs in case his father happened to have it in for him that morning. Thankfully Damon was out but that didn't prevent him from running into Clara. "I'm going for a run. Later."

Clara side stepped to keep him from getting out the door. "Oh, really now? Does this run include going to track down a certain missing Wolf of ours?" She moved her head to follow Ty's when he averted his gaze. "Damon doesn't want us contacting her, at least not yet, and you know it. Now forget about this run of yours and help me in the kitchen. Shaiya will be here shortly."

Ty never liked Shaiya, she always gave him a really bad vibe. Yeah, he knew she was Damon's Emissary and whatnot, but that didn't stop him from not liking her. Anyone who was willingly on Damon's side had to be just as bad as him. "Why is she coming? Nothing special is happening."

"Haven't you learned by now not to question your Alpha?" Clara led him into the kitchen with a heavy sigh. "I will never understand the insolence of youth."

Ty had enough of being left in the dark. "I'm not questioning my Alpha, I'm questioning you. What's going on? The last time Shaiya made a special trip was when we were at war with the Bishop Pack. Are we at war or something?"

Clara pulled out some juice from the fridge and set it on the island between them. "The possibility of war always lingers in the air, Ty. It is always best to be prepared."

Their conversation was interrupted when a knock came from the front door. Clara went to answer it but Ty side stepped to block her path.

He had something he needed to say to her – to ask her. "Don't you care about anything, Clara? Your husband is dead, your Alpha killed your husband and almost killed your daughter. I'm stuck here because of some messed up chance he's my father, but you're able to get out. Don't you care or have you spent so much time with Damon that you've become just like him?"

Clara's face hardened as she stared Ty down. "There are many things you do not understand about this world, Ty. Only because of this will I excuse your tone with me, and I will not tell Damon about this conversation." When there was more knocking at the front door, she said in fake sweetness, "Now if you'll excuse me. I believe our guest is here."

Ty clenched his fists as Clara went to answer the door. He always knew that he was never to be in the loop – that Damon never wanted him to know the underbelly of Pack dealings but in this case he wanted to know. He wanted to know why Damon suddenly decided to pick up and move them, why Mae was suddenly allowed space, and why Shaiya was there. Clearly he wasn't going to get any answers from anyone in his Pack, so he just might have to look elsewhere.

While Clara was distracted with welcoming Shaiya, Ty went out the kitchen door to take a trip into town and see if he could find his answers there.

Ty was already gone when Clara and Shaiya entered the kitchen. To say Clara wasn't pleased by this would have been a great understatement. "That boy is going to get himself killed if he doesn't start listening."

Shaiya set her bag on the kitchen counter and went straight to the fridge for the bottle of wine there and plucked a couple of glasses out of the cupboard. "Damon won't harm a hair on his head if he wants this plan to go off without a hitch. The more pure the sacrifice the stronger the power. Damon already made the mistake of killing her father…"

Clara cut her off there. "Kyle was not her father. You should know that. After all, you were the one who revealed everything to us."

Shaiya poured the wine with a strong eye roll. "It doesn't matter, Clara. All that matters is what Mae feels. She needs to have strong connections with those around her to make a true sacrifice. No sacrifice is more true, more pure than sacrificing oneself for the people they love." She handed over a glass of wine for Clara. "The Lamb's sacrifice must come from a place of love – just as it was the first time. Let Ty run about, let him learn if he so wishes to, and let him try to stop it if that is his desire. Mae would never let him do anything for her if it meant him getting hurt. That in itself is powerful enough for the Lamb to become the Key under the Blood Moon."

Clara listened to everything Shaiya said and didn't argue with her further about it. After all, it did make complete sense if one stepped back and looked at all the information. "I'll let you be the one to tell Damon about your ideas for Ty." She raised her glass before taking a long drink.

Shaiya smirked when Clara said that. "Oh, I intend to." She could see that there was something lingering behind Clara's eyes and wanted to know the cause of such thoughts. "What is weighing upon you, Clara?"

Clara went to pour herself another glass of wine as she sat on a stool at the island. "Something Kyle said before he died. He questioned why the Nemeton gave Mae to us."

A hardened expression appeared on Shaiya's face when she heard this but it just as quickly faded away. "Because of Damon. He is the Alpha worthy of such a prize." Shaiya reached across the island and squeezed Clara's hand. "Mae couldn't be gifted to Damon himself because he is not capable of the love needed to make the sacrifice pure. You and Kyle were – up until my revelation, that is. Which is why it's so important that no more harm comes to those she loves. A fact I will most definitely bring up with Damon; more than once if need be. With the Blood Moon approaching no more can be risked."

* * *

Mae leaned back against the counter in Scott's kitchen as she thought about something. She was thinking about the conversation she had with Derek in the school's parking lot – when she asked him if she was Paige's reincarnation or something. He said that she was and she accepted it then but it wasn't sitting well with her now. If she was Paige's reincarnation then how did Paige die? She must have been young because Mae remembered Paige being in High School but nothing after that. But even if Paige was young when she died… _when_ did she die? It certainly wasn't eighteen years ago, this much Mae could figure out.

Since Derek and the others headed out earlier that morning with the promise they'd be back, Scott was the only other one there. His mom came back briefly between shifts, pretty much just long enough to get filled in on what was going on, meet Mae, and leave again.

When Scott came into the kitchen, she asked him something right off. "Do you know anything about Paige?"

Scott wasn't sure who she was talking about exactly, other than that was who Mae was apparently was in a past life. "Details, no. Why? I thought Derek mentioned something about you remembering."

"I do, but…it doesn't make sense, Scott." Mae hopped onto the counter to seat and accepted the can of soda he offered her. "If I'm her next life or whatever then that means she died, but not only that; It means she died at least eighteen years ago."

Scott wasn't quite sure what she was saying and his face made that obvious.

Mae sighed, opened the soda, and took a sip before clarifying. "Eighteen years haven't passed since Derek knew Paige."

Now Scott was getting it. He sat down at the kitchen table and drank his soda in thought. "Okay…that's weird."

Mae waved her hand out in front of her with an emphatic, "Right?! It doesn't make any sense. The timing doesn't work. Which makes me wonder…If I'm _not_ her reincarnation, then what the hell am I?"

Scott didn't have an answer for that but had a gut feeling that they'd need one and soon. He got up and went over to Mae to assure her of something. "We'll figure this out. Don't worry, we've got your back."

"I can't help but worry, Scott. Especially when the dreams I keep having feel more and more like memories every time I have them – and they're not good, Scott. They're terrifying. I need to know more about Paige – I need to know how she died." Mae looked at the clock before turning back to him. "When did Derek say he was coming back?"

"He didn't," Scott informed her. "He just said he'd be back sometime later." When Mae set down her soda and headed for the door he had a good idea of what she was intending to do. "Don't bother, Mae. Stiles put the Ash back up before he left."

Mae stopped just short of the door and grumbled a bit. "I'm really getting tired of being on house arrest."

"Don't think of it as house arrest. Think of it as…" he needed a moment to think of something and hesitantly suggested, "a vacation?"

Mae snorted at that. "Oh, yeah, sure. I'll think of it as a vacation – one that was forced upon me and gave me no choice of its destination." She returned to her seat on the counter with a heavy sigh. "I don't mean to sound ungrateful. I appreciate the way you're looking out for me, it's just…I _hate_ not feeling in control. I don't ever remembering feeling this way before, not as me anyway. But I – I can't stop thinking that all this…weirdness started when the dreams did."

"When did the dreams start for you anyway?" Scott was curious about that.

"A few weeks ago." Mae didn't think anything of it but when she did, she realized she'd had them more often than that. "Actually…no. For the past few weeks I've had them every time I fell asleep but I have had them off and on the past couple years or so." She couldn't believe she didn't realize that until that moment.

"Your memory dreams started a couple years ago?" Scott instantly thought back to what happened a couple years prior. "We reactivated the Nemeton a couple of years ago."

Mae now gave Scott her undivided attention. "You did what to the what now?"

"The Nemeton is a beacon for supernatural creatures. It's also pretty powerful. We don't fully understand it yet, but we had to do a kind of sacrifice ritual to find our parents a couple of years ago and that reactivated the Nemeton's power." Scott had no clue if there was any connection but it was the first thing he thought of.

Once again Mae hopped off the counter but this time it was to retrieve the telephone. She handed it over to Scott saying with strong emphasis, "Call Stiles to take down the Ash. We are going to this Nemeton place **now**." What kind of answers she might find there, she had no clue, but it was a good a place as any to start.

* * *

End Chapter 6


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